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Celebrate Vermont’s Celtic and French Canadian heritage with traditional – and sometimes not so traditional – music and dance. Each year more than 70 exceptional musicians are drawn from New England, Canada and the British Isles. Concerts, music and dance … Continue reading →

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Celebrate Vermont’s Celtic and French Canadian heritage with traditional – and sometimes not so traditional – music and dance. Each year more than 70 exceptional musicians are drawn from New England, Canada and the British Isles. Concerts, music and dance workshop sessions, children’s activities, and open dancing unfold on five continuous stages from noon until 11 PM. Food and drink provided by the area’s finest chefs and breweries.

The festival takes place in downtown Randolph, Vermont in Chandler Music Hall and Gallery, in all-weather tents on both sides of Main Street, and in historic Bethany Church. Main Street is closed to traffic, and the festival site becomes an intimate pedestrian village.

In recognition of the Festival’s designation as a Top Ten Event more than ten times, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce has awarded the New World Festival status as a permanent Time-Honored Event for Vermont. Come join us. You’ll be glad you did!

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Kevin Dunwoody and the music planning committee have been hard at work on the 2019 line-up. Ticket prices remain the same this year, with a discount for advance purchase. As always, kids 12 and under are free!

We are delighted to announce the New World Festival premieres of two young award-winning groups, É.T.É. and Spintuition. Three young musicians with varied musical backgrounds unite their creative and artistic forces to form the group É.T.É. that offers a dynamic and modern vision of Québec traditional music. They were awarded “Discovery of the Year 2017-2018” at the Gala des PRIX Opus.

Spintuitionis a New England band that blends creativity and tradition into tight harmony and joyous rhythms. These young musicians have crafted a compelling mixture of spicy new tunes and glorious old favorites in the styles of trad-Irish, French-Canadian, and Old Time. In 2019, the band tied for first place in the Young Traditions Vermont contest in Burlington.

John Doyle fans will be happy to hear that he’ll be back, this year with Solas accordionist Mick McAuley and Oisín McAuley of the Irish group Danú.

Yann Falquet, Pascal Gemme, and Nicholas Williams bring their intricate fiddle, flute and accordion work, gorgeous vocal harmonies, energetic foot percussion and guitar accompaniment to the festival. Over the past 18 years the trad Québécois group Genticorum has become a fixture on the international world, trad, folk and Celtic music circuit. The band’s six albums met with critical acclaim in Canada, the United States and Europe, assuring the band a brilliant future. Known for its energy and its stage presence, Genticorum has given more than a 1000 concerts in more than 15 countries.

The 25th Anniversary of the New World Festival was truly a festival to remember.

When the summer is turning and fall’s in the air
When the fiddlers and pipers have come
Then it’s time to go dancin’ in the hills of Vermont.
Let the mountains and the music lift our hearts!

New World, New World, world of dancing and song
Where all may have a part
New World, New World, world of kindness and peace
‘cross borders, let the nations join hands!

When the summer is turning and fall’s in the air
When the fiddlers and pipers have come
Then it’s time to go dancin’ in the hills of Vermont
Let the mountains and the music lift our hearts!
-Kathy Eddy’s New World Festival waltz, composed in honor of this milestone year

Thank you to all who came out to celebrate our 25th festival! While the weather was cold and dreary, the festival was anything but—fantastic performances, delicious food and drink, family activities, several new workshops, a world premiere, and the return of the sessions tent made it a day to remember.

We welcome your comments and photos on the New World Festival Facebook page.

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Central to the Festival’s success is its core of more than 100 enthusiastic volunteers whose only payment is the gratitude of the community and the joy brought to patrons and performers. Their cheerful assistance to visitors at all performance venues, in the food tent, at the admissions gate, and in the festival store are notable and one of many reasons long-time fans of the festival keep returning.

Volunteers are still needed for this year’s festival. Three to four hours of work – depending on the job – earn volunteers an all-day pass to the festival. Interested persons, age 12 or older, are asked to contact the festival’s volunteer coordinator, Yasi Zeichner, at [email protected], or call 802-485-9242.

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Composer Kathy Eddy has written a waltz celebrating the Festival’s 25th anniversary! Piper Steve Eubanks opened the 25th festival with this tune and in the late afternoon, singers and instrumentalists of all stripes came together in the Dance Tent for its premiere!

The New World Festival Waltze ~Kathy Eddy

When the summer is turning and fall’s in the airWhen the fiddlers and pipers have comeThen it’s time to go dancin’ in the hills of Vermont.Let the mountains and the music lift our hearts!

New World, New World, world of dancing and songWhere all may have a partNew World, New World, world of kindness and peace‘cross borders, let the nations join hands!

When the summer is turning and fall’s in the airWhen the fiddlers and pipers have comeThen it’s time to go dancin’ in the hills of VermontLet the mountains and the music lift our hearts!